Turner was trained as a topographical artist in watercolor, and throughout his life watercolors remained integral to the development of his work. He sketched buildings and sites throughout Britain in his early years and quickly gained commissions for specific projects. This view was requested by Benjamin Howlett along with others for a publication on picturesque sites in the county. It was recorded that the work had already suffered fading in 1908, so the overall brown tonality does not reflect the original conception of the work.

Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design. “Selection II”. Providence: Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design,1972.